Remote Patient Monitoring and Telemedicine in Neonatal and Pediatric Settings: Scoping Literature Review (Preprint)

Abstract

Background: Telemedicine and telehealth solutions are emerging rapidly in healthcare, and have the potential to decrease costs for insurers, providers and patients in various settings. Pediatric populations that require specialty care, are disadvantaged socially or economically, or have chronic health conditions will greatly benefit from results of studies utilizing telemedicine technologies. This paper examines the emerging trends within pediatric populations as part of a systematic literature review and provides a scoping review of the type, extent, and quantity of research available. Objective: This paper aims to examine the role of remote patient monitoring and telemedicine in neonatal and pediatric settings. Findings can be used to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the field. The identification of gaps will allow for interventions or research to improve healthcare quality and costs. Methods: A systematic literature review is being conducted in order to gather an adequate amount of relevant research for telehealth in pediatric populations. The fields of remote patient monitoring and telemedicine are not yet very well established by the healthcare services sector and definitions vary across healthcare systems, and thus the terms are not always defined similarly throughout the literature. Three databases were scoped for information for this specific review, and 56 articles are included so far. Results: Three major telemedicine trends emerged from the review of 45 relevant papers: remote patient monitoring, teleconsultation, and monitoring patients within the hospital, but without contact, thus decreasing likelihood of infection or other adverse health effects. Conclusion: While the current telemedicine approaches show promise, limited conditions studied and small sample sizes affect generalizability, therefore warranting further research. The information presented can inform healthcare providers of the most widely implemented, studied, and effective forms of telemedicine for patients and their families, and the telemedicine initiatives that are most cost efficient for health systems. While the focus of this review is to summarize some telehealth applications in pediatrics, there are also research studies presented which can inform providers of the importance of data sharing of remote monitoring data between hospitals. Further reports will be developed to inform health systems as the systematic literature review continues.